Abstract
Menopause leads to ovarian hormone loss, which causes symptoms such as weight gain, hot flashes, and depression. Exploring nutraceuticals is important for treating menopausal symptoms that extensively impact women’s quality of life. We hypothesized that a combination of Leonurus japonicus Houtt, Eclipta prostrata L., and Pueraria lobata Ohwi (LEPE) would alleviate menopausal symptoms in an ovariectomized menopausal rat model. Bilateral ovariectomy was performed and animals were assigned to five groups: (1) Sham, (2) Vehicle, (-) Control, (3) LEPE (100 mg/kg bw), (4) LEPE (200 mg/kg bw), and (5) Estradiol (3 μg/kg bw). LEPE was orally administered daily for 12 weeks. LEPE supplementation did not affect growth performance (body weight and feed intake) or body composition (lean mass and fat in tissue). LEPE did not cause deviations in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, estradiol, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, indicating no hepatotoxicity or endocrine disturbance. LEPE decreased type I collagen (CTX-1) but did not affect bone mineral density or osteocalcin. LEPE decreased tail temperature and increased rectal temperature, improving menopause-related vasomotor symptoms. Furthermore, LEPE ameliorated depression-related behavior, including in forced swimming and tail suspension tests. Thus, LEPE may improve menopausal symptoms by enhancing vasomotor symptoms and depression in an ovariectomized rat menopause model.
Highlights
Menopause refers to the permanent cessation of ovarian reproductive function and is divided into the perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal periods [1]
Estrogen deficiency resulting from ovariectomy is responsible for increased feed intake and body weight gain, thereby increasing the fat in tissue via elevated levels of neuropeptide Y, an appetite stimulant, in the hypothalamus [29,30,31]
There may have been a difference in effect, based on whether the extracted solvent was in ethanol or aqueous form. These results indicate that LEPE did not normalize increased body weight and fat mass induced by ovariectomy
Summary
Menopause refers to the permanent cessation of ovarian reproductive function and is divided into the perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal periods [1]. Hormone replacement therapy includes therapy with a single hormone, such as estrogen or progestin, and a combination of estrogen and other medicines [5,6], which is an efficient treatment that dramatically relieves menopauserelated symptoms. The global interest in complementary and alternative medicine is growing [12] For this reason, it is imperative to study natural substances that have fewer side effects to relieve menopause symptoms. Combining the individual advantages of L. japonicus Houtt, E. prostrata L., and P. lobata Ohwi could create a synergic effect to relieve menopause symptoms. We hypothesized that the combined extracts of L. japonicus Houtt, E. prostrata L., and P. lobata Ohwi (LEPE), would mitigate menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, bone loss, and menopause-related depressive behavior, in ovariectomized (OVX) menopause rats without adverse effects
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